The life of the traitor
by The silly goose
Summary: Basically a story of Harry Potter as a Dark wizard, cause it's so funny to write about an evil Harry! Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

"Please... don't do this", Lavender Brown whispered, trying desperately to make her captor change his mind. But, like all the other previous times, she didn't succeed. However, she refused to accept defeat and cleared her throat, vincing slightly at the pain that came with it. "Please, whoever you are, please, don't kill me. I'll do anything, I'll give you anything!"

This time she got a reaction from her unknown captor. He laughed. From the corner of her eye she saw the only other person in the room throw his head back and laugh, as if he was highly amused by her pleading.

"Oh, my _dear _Miss. Brown", she heard him say. His voice was somewhat familiar, but she couldn't place it, the blow she'd taken to the head made it difficult to think. "If you knew what I want, you wouldn't be so quick in offering it to me."

"What do you want, then?" She asked, feeling proud that her voice didn't waver. "Whatever it is you want, I'll give it to you, just... please let me go?"

She heard him sigh, as if bored with the conversation. She tensed as she heard footsteps coming closer, stopping just behind her. She didn't dare turn around and face her captor. Instead, she forced her eyes to remain open, looking straight forward. She flinched when she felt a hand gently stroking her hair, almost petting it, giving false reassurance that everything would be okay. It made the whole situation feel worse.

"If I said I wanted your life... would you give it to me willingly?"

She couldn't stop the horrified gasp before it went past her lips. He wanted her _life_? She closed her eyes and tried to stop the tears that were now pouring down her cheeks. She was going to die tonight? Why? What had she done to deserve something like this? "Why? Why do you want my life?" She had to know. She needed to know why she was going to die. She felt the hand that had been stroking her hair disappear. Her captor was silent for so long she thought he wasn't going to answer. Then...

"Tell me, Lavender Brown, have you ever heard of horcruxes?"

-000-

_He made sure he had everything in place for the ritual, and nodded satisfied with the results. Everything had gone exactly according to plan. He hadn't been so sure about Lavender of all people, but he needed to get this done, and she happened to be at the right place at the right time, though he knew she didn't see it that way. He'd never liked her anyway, so the guilt would be easy to deal with. _

_After weeks of planning and studying, he knew he was ready to do this, to actually go through with it. When the idea first struck him, he'd pushed it aside, almost disgusted with himself. But after a few days, after sitting alone in the Common Room for hours and thinking, going through it all in his head for the millionth time, he'd decided it was the best course of action. The hardest part would be to find a victim. It would have to be someone who was invisible, someone people didn't take notice of. In the end, he'd ran out of time, so he picked the student closest to him, which happened to be Lavender Brown, heading for Hogsmeade to meet up with her friends at the local pub. He knew she was one of the more popular students, but he knew if he didn't do it today, he'd never do it. _

_Knocking her out had been easy enough, after he'd made sure there weren't any other students in sight. Dragging her to the Shrieking Shack was another matter, he hadn't taken into account how heavy an unconcious person could be, and he swore to himself to exercise more. It was a pity he couldn't use magic, at least, not until he'd gotten across the border to the Shack. He sent a silent 'thank you' to his little helper for taking care of that bit for him, it made the whole thing so much easier, elf magic was very hard and difficult to detect. _

_Once he was inside, he secured his victim to a chair, making sure she faced away from the center of the room. He didn't need her to see what he had planned, he wanted it to be a surprise. Now all he had to do was wait for her to wake up. _

-000-

"What's a horcrux?" Lavender asked in a trembling voice. She'd never heard of it before, but it sounded like it was Dark magic. Just who was this man?

"It doesn't surprise me you don't know about it, I know Hogwart's library isn't very keen on them, since they aren't of the Light sort. They are mentioned, though, in a book locked away in the farthest corner in the Restriced Section. Basically, they are created by those who wishes to obtain immortality. See where I'm going with this?"

Immortality. He needed her life to-to live forever? "W-why me?" She asked, now unable to stop her tears.

"Don't think you're anything special, Miss. Brown, I could've used anyone for this ritual. It just happened that you were at the right place at the right time, for me, that is."

Why hadn't she gone with her friends? Why had she insisted that they'd go on without her? If she hadn't, she wouldn't be here, being sacrificed by some madman! "Please, don't." She knew it was pointless, her captor wouldn't change his mind. But she didn't want to die! Not like this, like some sacrificial lamb. She wanted to live her life! But that wasn't going to happen. "Who are you? Do I know you? Are you a student?"

"So many questions, Miss. Brown. But then again, you always talked too much. It was very annoying actually, having to listen to you, day after day. Now I'll finally get some peace and quiet."

So her captor, and murdurer, was a student at Hogwarts. For some reason, that made it all worse. Was it one of her friends? Was he in Gryffindor? She wasn't aware she had any enemies in any of the Houses. "We're not friends, then?" She asked, quietly.

"I've had to play nice towards you, mostly for appearances, of course. I'm a rather brilliant actor, not even the great, and oh, so noble Albus Dumbledore saw through my act. I've had so much fun playing my little game with him and the others all these years. I'd thought that Granger would've figured something out, but since she's nothing but a disgusting mudblood, I'm not that surprised."

He must be a Slytherin. She didn't know anyone else who thought of Hermione as a mudblood. "Don't call her that, she's a great witch!" She felt she had to deserve her fellow Gryffindor, besides, it was true, even if she did spent too much of her time reading books.

"I call it as I see it, Miss. Brown, and what I see is a lowlife that pretends to be something she's not so she'll fit in with the rest of us purebloods. I honestly don't know how I've managed to restrain myself from simply killing her after almost six years of listening to her whining. She thinks she's better than us, just because she reads. She's nothing but a Know-it-all, a mudblood, who doesn't deserve to be among us."

He must definitely be a Slytherin! Lavender thought, a little gobsmacked after listening to him ranting over Granger. How could no one have noticed? He must've hidden his hatred for her well, if he's managed it since they first came to the school.

"I'm afraid we're getting of topic, Miss. Brown. My apologies, sometimes I get a little too caught up in my thoughts. Let's get back to the main reason we're here, shall we?"

Lavender took a deep breath, trying to control her panic. "People will notice I'm gone! They'll look for me! You won't get away with this!"

Her captor laughed, hard. Where had she heard that voice before? It was so familiar.

"I've already gotten away with it, Miss. Brown. I'm quite an influential person. It's a wonder, really, what money can do. People are so greedy, don't you think?"

So he was rich and a Slytherin? It could be anyone!

"I'm pondering wether or not to let you know who I am before I kill you. The look on your face would be priceless."

She heard her captor move around again, and she could no longer control her panic. She thrashed and screamed, tried in vain to get out of her bonds. But it was no use. She was stuck. She was going to die. She screwed her eyes shut as she sensed him moving to stand in front of her. Suddenly, she didn't want to know who her murderer was. She didn't want to know if it was someone she'd thought of as a friend.

"Open your eyes, Lavender Brown, and look at me."

She shook her head. No, she didn't want to open her eyes.

"Look at me!"

No.

"LOOK AT ME!"

His screaming made her jump and she opened her eyes...

...and stared into Harry Potter's emerald, cold gaze.


	2. Chapter 2

"Harry?" Lavender whispered, horrified. It couldn't be him. But the longer she looked into his eyes, eyes that used to be filled with warmth and happiness, she knew it really was him.

"Surprise", said Harry and smiled. But it wasn't his usual happy, carefree smile. Instead, it was cruel and mocking.

Lavender opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She tried to clear her throat again, this time with less pain, and rasped out: "What happened to you?"

Harry frowned at her, head tilting slightly to the side. It was so strange. He still looked like the Harry Potter she knew, but at the same time he seemed so different.

"Nothing's happened to me, Lavender."

"The Harry Potter I know would never do something like this!" She screamed, suddenly furious. She didn't know where all that anger came from, and a small part of her mind berated her for possibly angering her murderer. But she just couldn't stop herself.

Harry's frown disappeared, replaced by a smirk. His eyes glinted in the dark room, and she tried to look around to see where they were, but it looked unfamiliar. It had to be someplace old, the smell alone was enough for her to almost gag.

"You've never known the real me. I doubt you'd want anything to do with me, if you did."

"Who's the real Harry Potter, then?" Lavender asked, nearly dreading the answer.

"The _real _Harry Potter is a boy who will bring chaos and destruction to the Light, and all its little mindless puppets, starting with you Lavender Brown. I admit, I've never actually killed someone before. Sure, I've hurt plenty of others, but not killed. Isn't this exciting?" He said, smiling widely at her. She felt sick.

"Why?" Was all she could think to say. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Harry Potter wasn't supposed to be dark.

"Obviously I couldn't let Dumbledore know what I really was like, could I? But really, after living with an abusive family for ten years, what did he think was going to happen? That I'd be a sweet, innocent little boy who would be desperate for friends and approval?"

Lavender's eyes widened when she heard of his abusive family. She had always thought Harry lived a happy life, with relatives who loved him. Apparently, she was wrong.

-000-

_He first hurt his relatives when he was seven years old. He'd been thrown into his cupboard after dropping a glass of water when Dudley had pushed him aside. When he'd tried to defend himself, his uncle had slapped him and tossed him into the cupboard and locked the door. _

_That was when everything snapped. _

_Harry felt as if a bubble burst inside of him and he was filled with a rage and hatred so strong it made him actually see red. He gathered his magic, (yes, he knew all about that. How could he not, when he'd suddenly appeared on the school roof while being chased by his cousin and his clasmates mere seconds earlier?) and blew the small door open. His relatives came running when they heard the sound, his uncle already shouting about punishments for ruining his cupboard. _

_They all stopped, as if running into an invisible wall. When they tried to turn around and head back to the kitchen, they found they were unable to move. Dudley started to cry, demanding his dad fixed whatever the problem was. Petunia and Vernon shared a terrified look, knowing what was happening. They hadn't thought Harry would actually strike back, they thought they had managed to beat the freaky stuff out of him. Oh, how wrong they were... _

_Harry slowly stepped out of the small space, his hands clenched into tiny fists. It felt as if his whole body was on fire, the rage and magic longing to get out. He stepped up to his uncle, the person he hated more than anything in the world, and simply just stared at him. At first, Vernon had been scared by the child's silent staring, but after a few minutes, he managed to gather up enough courage to ask: "What're you staring at, freak?" _

_An inhuman sound erupted from Harry's throat and he held up a hand, his palm towards his uncle. Suddenly, Vernon began to scream. It made Petunia and Dudley cower in fear as they could do nothing but watch as their husband and father thrash in pain. _

"_Stop! Please!" Petunia screamed at Harry. Miraculously, he did stop, only to turn his attention to her instead. She opened her mouth to protest, but could only scream as she now felt the pain her husband had endured mere seconds ago. It was unbearable. It felt as if every single nerve in her body was on fire. She couldn't stay quiet any longer and opened her mouth and screamed. _

_Harry had never felt such a rush. The immense satisfaction seeing his tormentors in pain felt wonderful. For six years he'd been treated as a slave. For six years he'd been abused. But no more. He let his aunt fall to the ground, gasping for breath as her arms and legs twitched and turned to his cousin, who tried to run away but found himself still stuck in place. _

"_Ple-please, Harry...", he whispered. His eyes were wide with fear, his lips trembled. _

"_Please what, Dudley? Please hurt you the way you've hurt me all these years? With pleasure", Harry growled and let his cousin feel the same pain his parents had, and watched with a small smile as his cousin screamed in agony. His parents didn't have the energy to protest against their son being hurt, they were still recovering from their own torture. When Harry finally let Dudley go, he fell to the ground with a loud thump, tears streaming down his face. His hands scratched his chest as if to lessen the pain. _

"_This is what I've been feeling, every time you've called me names, hitting me, forcing me to do your work. It's not a very nice feeling, is it? You deserve more, much more, but I'm afraid your minds wouldn't be able to take any more pain without breaking down completely. So I suggest a change in attitude, unless you want some more pain, and you don't want that, right?" He didn't wait for answers, he simply stepped over them and went into the kitchen to make himself some breakfast._

-000-

"Let's get started, shall we, Lavender?" Harry asked and clapped his hands together. She drew a shuddering breath as she watched him draw his wand, his hand reaching into the pocket of his robes and pulled out a locket. If she wasn't so scared, she'd marvel over its beauty. "This won't hurt at all, I think. The last time I had the Killing Curse cast at me I was just a baby, and my memory isn't that good, I must admit. But no matter."

She closed her eyes and held her breath. This was it. She was going to die, by Harry Potter's hand. Oh, the irony! The Savior of the Wizarding world was going to kill her to gain immortality.

"_Avada Kedavra_!"


	3. Chapter 3

Harry laughed out loud as he felt the sweet pulse of the Dark Magic flow through his veins, almost like a tender, loving stroke from head to toe. If he'd known using the Killing curse would've felt _this_ good, he would've done it years ago! No wonder Voldemort did it so often.

He kept his eyes on Lavender's face, wanting to see the light in her eyes go out, leaving only a cold, hollow shell of a body.

He shook his head and concentrated on his task. Taking a deep breath, he began the chant that would transfer a part of his soul in to the locket in his hand. He flinched as he felt a rip somewhere inside him, but it only lasted a few seconds.

When it was over, he opened his eyes, not knowing when he had closed them and slowly breathed out.

His hands were shaking.

...

He was sweating.

…

...

He had never felt so alive.

-00-

"_What are you reading, Harry?" Hermione asked as she sat down by his table in the dimly lit library one afternoon. _

_Harry had to grit his teeth as to not snap back at her. How he'd lasted six years in her presence, and NOT killed her, he'd never know. He applauded himself on his self-control. _

"_Harry? Are you listening?" _

"_Hm? Sorry, Hermione, I was lost in thoughts", he said and smiled apologetically, "what did you say?"_

"_I asked what you're reading", she said and leaned forward, trying to read upside down. He quickly covered the page he was reading with his hands and glared at her. _

"_It's something private, and I'd appreciate it if you'd leave it alone." _

_Hermione stared at him, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. "Wha- Harry?" _

"_You heard me, Hermione. What I'm reading is none of your business. Now, please be quiet. We're in a library, you know, and you know how upset Madam Pince gets when someone's talking." _

_That said, he gathered his books and got up, leaving his 'friend' at the table, staring after him with something akin to hurt in her eyes. _

_Harry couldn't care less. _

-00-

After having called Dobby and having him dispose of Lavender's body and any other remaining evidence, he cast a cleaning charm on himself and headed back to the castle.

His eyes were wide with new light and wonder. It was as if a cloth had been removed from his eyes, he could see everything so much clearer!

It wasn't only his senses that had improved by making a horcrux; his magic felt so much stronger. Before it had been quite a force not to be reckoned with, but now... now he felt as if he was invincible. If _one _horcrux made him feel this powerful, what would _two _do?

He paused in his walk and forced his mind to calm down. He had to take things slow, this was a matter he couldn't rush, no matter how much he wanted to.

He wondered if he looked any different. He hadn't thougth of that back in the Shack. Did Voldemort look the way he did because of his horcruxes? Surely his current looks wasn't by his own choice? But then again, the man was a little crazy. Or brilliant. Harry couldn't decide on which.

-00-

"Where have you been, mate?" Ron asked as soon as Harry stepped through the door to the Gryffindor Common room. "You never showed up, did something happen? Did you run into Malfoy?"

"Huh? No, no, I wasn't feeling very well, my scar began to hurt again. And I didn't want to ruin your fun, so I went back. I've just been to see Madam Pomfrey for a headache reliever," Harry said as he sat down on the sofa.

"It must've been a bad one, if you went to her straight away. I mean, normally you stay as far away from the hospital wing as possible", Ron said and grimaced.

Harry nodded, all the while thanking the Gods that Ron was so gullible. He believed anything, didn't he?

He noticed that Ron was looking at him funny, and raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong, mate?"

"No, I don't know, it's just... you look... different", Ron said slowly, tilting his head from side to side.

"Different, how?" Harry asked, tensing in his seat. Had he really changed that much that even _Ron _noticed?

"I'm not sure, really. Your eyes seem... clearer than they did before. Are you wearing contacts or something?"

"What? No, I'm not. It's probably the light that's tricking you, Ron", Harry said and looked away, feeling a little unsettled. He needed a mirror.

"Yeah, you're probably right", Ron said and shrugged, letting the whole thing go. "Hey, do you know what's up with Hermione? She's been acting kind of weird the last couple of days. I mean, I think she's weird all the time, but she's been more weird than usual."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, feigning confusion. She must still be upset over his refusal to let her see his reading material in the library the other day. Honestly, that mudblood had to go before she drove Harry up the wall!

"She keeps scowling at everyone, especially you, did you two fight or something?"

"Not really, she was kind of intrusive in the library the other day, demanding to know what I was reading. I simply told her no. I had no idea she was still feeling upset over that", Harry said, while planning on how many ways he could kill her without using his hands. "She's likely in one of her moods. I'd let it go, Ron, she'll be back to herself in no time."

"I guess so", Ron said and yawned, "I'm off to bed, you coming?"

"Yeah, in a minute, just gotta go to the bathroom", Harry said and got up, not bothering to wait and see if Ron followed. After locking the door he took his clothes of and stared in wonder at his reflection.

Ron had been right- his eyes were clearer. Did he even need glasses anymore? He took his old, battered glasses off and laughed in delight. If anything, he could see better without them!

His skin was paler than it had been, though not so much that people would notice, making his eyes and hair stand out more than before.

He smiled to his reflection. Making a horcrux had definitely not been a mistake.


	4. Chapter 4

"_Lord Voldemort- _

_I know you must have mixed feelings about receiving a letter from me. I would be quite perplexed if I received a letter from someone who's supposed to be my enemy, too. But, let me reassure, and promise, you, that everything I've written in this letter is true. _

_Before I started writing, I swore an Oath; if I write something that's untrue, I'll lose my magic. It's your choice whether you will believe me or not, but know I'm telling the truth. _

_I'm your horcrux. Or, I'm one of them. Yes, I know about them. Rest assured, I know what they are, but not where they are. You accidentally made me one the night you killed my parents, and attempted to kill me, which is how I got the scar. _

_How do I know this? I heard Dumbledore talk to Snape one evening, where he explained what I had to do in order to destroy you. Simply put, I have to die in order for you to die. Apparently, he has known this since the beginning, yet he never told me. No, what he planned was for me to sacrifice myself in order to save the Wizarding world._

_Contrary to what you may believe, I am not a supporter of the Light. That's about as far from the truth as you can get, actually. From a very early age, when I finally got revenge on my relatives for all the abuse they put me through, I knew I wasn't 'good'. And besides, torturing them felt so good. Now I know how you must've felt, the night you killed your father and grandparents. Giving back all the pain they caused you, it's a powerful feeling. _

_I had to master my control over my emotions, especially when I first came to Hogwarts. I knew what Dumbledore expected of me, and revealing my true self too early was out of the question. But after putting up with a rude, loud-mouthed weasel and an annoying know-it-all for so many years, I've been close to breaking, many times. You won't believe how hard it was to keep myself from killing them! They were all so annoyingly 'light', it was disgusting. Worst of all, they all expected me to be just as light, if not more, since I'm the Boy-Who-Lived, and all. Won't they be surprised? I'm going to have so much fun in killing them. _

_I recently created my own horcrux. It took me a long time to decide whether or not I should do it. But now, afterwards, I'm so glad I did. I've never felt so powerful, so… alive! I can't imagine what you must be feeling, having done eight of them, the last one being accidental. I almost envy you a little. _

_Performing the killing curse wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. It was my first try, as well, so I wasn't certain I would be able to do it. But what a rush! I felt magic burst through me, and I can't wait to feel it again. No wonder you kill so often! _

_I would like nothing more than to meet you in person, to discuss what we're going to do now. Obviously, since I'm your horcrux, it would be a foolish move to kill me. And I have no interest in killing you, either. And listening to a prophecy made by a fraud like Trelawney is just an idiotic move. All she does in babbling nonsense, anyway._

_If you decide to meet up with me, I have recently acquired a house in Hogsmeade, where we could talk undisturbed. But I'll leave that decision up to you. _

_Thank you for reading, _

_Regards_

_Harry James Potter" _

Lord Voldemort couldn't remember a time he'd been more surprised and shocked than this moment. He had just finished reading the letter from Potter, and it was shocking, to say the least.

Harry Potter was his horcrux. Harry Potter knew of his horcruxes. Lord Voldemort had, in his rage and anger, almost destroyed his own soul.

"Oh, Merlin…," he groaned and rested his head in his hands. What had he done? After all these years of striving for immortality, he had almost destroyed the one thing that could make him so. How could he have been so foolish?

But was it true? Could he trust Potter's word? He had said he'd taken an Oath, but who knew? Maybe he was simply jesting to make him believe he was telling the truth. But, in all the years they'd confronted each other, fought each other, they had never lied to one another. Voldemort had always told the truth whenever the boy was near. Why should he lie? No, he was certain the boy was telling the truth, although he wasn't sure as to _how _he knew. Call it a hunch.

Potter wrote he wanted a meeting with him. Now that was an unusual event. Him and Potter, talking like civilized people? That's about the last thing he thought could happen. But would it hurt to meet up, just once? If anything, he'd gain more information as for how the boy managed to fool the entire Wizarding world, including himself. And Lord Voldemort loved nothing more than gaining new knowledge.

-00-

Hermione still acted like _he _was the one who'd done something wrong. Harry couldn't care less. She had to realize that intruding on people's privacy simply wasn't acceptable.

"Anything you want to say to me, Harry?" she asked every time they sat down to eat in the Great Hall.

And every time Harry raised an eyebrow and simply said, "No."

She would frown at him before turning away. Harry didn't mind, it was nice eating his meals in peace.

He was just about to fill his plate with food when an unfamiliar owl landed beside his plate, holding out an envelope. For a moment, Harry's heart stopped beating. Could it be…?

"Whose owl is that, mate?" Ron asked, nodding towards the bird on the table.

"Um, no one important, Ron," said Harry as he accepted the letter with fingers that trembled ever so slightly. Luckily, Ron just shrugged and went back to his food.

Hermione looked like she wanted nothing more than demand to know who the letter was from, but a cold look from Harry made her huff before continuing to ignore him.

He offered the owl a slice of bacon, which has happily accepted, before the owl spread its wings and took off. Harry gulfed down his breakfast before leaving the table, eager to read the letter.

"Ey, where are you going, mate?" he heard Ron call after him.

"Can't talk now, Ron! I'll see you in class!" Harry called over his shoulder.

He ran all the way to the Common room, ran up the stairs to his bed, where he spelled his curtain shut and silenced, before he finally tore up the envelope. It read:

"_Mr. Potter-_

_Truth be told, I did have mixed feelings about your letter. It's not every day supposed enemies correspond via letters. But you've always been different, haven't you? _

_I did not know Dumbledore had any knowledge of my horcruxes. This, I admit, is disturbing. If I may be so bold to ask, do you have any knowledge if he knows their locations? This is most upsetting, not knowing, and I __hate__ not knowing. And I'm quite interested in your knowledge of creating horcruxes. I suspect we'll have plenty to talk about. _

_The news that you are my horcrux is… most surprising. And shocking. I had no knowledge of this ever happening, my memories from that night are hazy, if nothing else. Had I known you were a part of my soul, I never would've raised my wand to you, at least not with the intent to harm you. _

_For that, I am sorry. I was not in my right mind the night I came to kill you, being blinded with the thought that there was a child that could destroy me. Had I been in my right mind, I never would have attacked such a powerful wizarding family, even though they were on the opposite side. _

_I must admit to wanting more knowledge of your life, young Potter. You've managed to catch my interest, not an easy task, mind you. And I would very much like to see this new residence of yours. Would it be possible to meet one your next trip to Hogsmeade? I believe I can clear my schedule on the date and time we decide, since this is quite important business. _

_Regards _

_Lord Voldemort"_

Harry was speechless. Really. Voldemort had actually replied to his letter! He wanted to meet with him! On the next Hogsmeade visit! Which was when? He should know that. He forced himself to calm his racing heart and tried to think. The next visit was the coming Saturday- five days away. Oh, Merlin! Five days? He would meet with Voldemort, a non-threatening meeting, in five days?

Breathing heavily, he summoned some parchment and a quill. He wrote;

"_Lord Voldemort- _

_I'm honestly shocked you agreed to meet with me!_

_As far as I know, Dumbledore merely has suspicions of some of the locations of your horcruxes. He knows there is one in a cave somewhere, and he has speculated about one being near your old family home. That's all I know._

_The next visit to Hogsmeade is this Saturday. I'll be leaving quite early in the morning, seeing as how much we have to discuss I don't want to waste any time. I assume you'll come disguised? I'll be waiting outside the Three Broomsticks at 9 o'clock! _

_Looking forward to meet you_

_Harry J. Potter" _

Harry put the parchment in an envelope and sealed it shut. He then headed up to the Owlery where he spotted Hedwig by one of the windows. He called her down and gently attached the letter to her leg.

"Take this to Voldemort, will you, girl?" he asked as he stroked her feathers. She chirped at him and nipped his finger before taking off. Harry could hardly contain his smile, until he realized he was late for his Potion class. That wiped his smile away quite quickly.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry applauded himself on his own self-control. There were times when he deeply regretted having convinced the Sorting Hat to put him in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin; he'd never have any problems amongst the snakes, they at least knew the meaning of the word 'privacy'.

Being surrounded by over-enthusiastic lions was not his cup of tea. They didn't seem to know what 'peace and quiet' meant, always up and about, trying to live up to their house's brave and glorious ancestor, Godric Gryffindor. And if that wasn't enough, everyone expected him to follow in Godric's footsteps, all because he'd drawn that old sword from within the Hat in his second year. That had not been his proudest moment. He had to, however briefly, convince himself that he truly wanted to save and protect the students in the school from the basilisk's deadly gaze. As if he cared what happened to them, but in order to keep everyone from finding out what lied beneath his masks, he had to play his part.

Since receiving Voldemort's letter, he'd had an even harder time of keeping up his Golden boy-persona. But he refused to lose merely because of a letter, he was stronger than that! But it wasn't easy. He'd lost count how many times he'd longed to curse his housemates to hell and back, simply for being so... good. If only they knew they had a snake in their midst. He couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces when they realised where his loyalties truly lied.

Would they all have the same look of betrayal like the one Lavender Brown had, mere seconds before her death? He reached inside his robes and gently held the locket in his hand, the keeper of his soul. He could feel it pulsing with his magic as if reassuring him it was really there.

He would need to find a safe place for it, keeping it on him wasn't an option, at least not for long. If it fell into the wrong hands, into Dumbledore's hands... that would be devastating. The only question was where to hide it, it had to be somewhere where-

He smiled. He suddenly knew what to do. Hidden beneath his Invisibility cloak, he headed for the Room of Requirement. Once inside, he warded the door and stuffed his cloak inside his robe. He opened his mouth and said: "Dobby?"

With a small 'pop', Dobby appeared before him, almost bouncing with the excitement of being near his precious Harry Potter. "What can Dobby do for Master Harry, sir?" he asked.

"I've told you time and again, Dobby, it's just Harry, alright?" Harry said with fond exasperation.

"Sir will always be Master Harry to Dobby, sir!" the elf said with near indignation. Harry raised his hands in surrender, knowing when to back off.

"I need to ask a favour, a very important favour, Dobby", Harry said and studied his friend intently. This was no joking matter. "Do you think you're up for it?"

"Dobby will do anything Master Harry asks of him!" the small elf said with a determined nod. "What is it Master Harry wants?"

Harry took a deep breath and carefully removed the locket around his neck. He felt himself tremble slightly, not wanting to be away from his soul. But he had to do this; he had to keep it safe.

"Within this object, there's something very precious to me. Do you know what a Horcrux is, Dobby?"

Dobby nodded slightly, "Dobby knows what those are, sir."

"Then you know it's of most importance that this is kept safe," Harry said, tightening his fingers around the locket.

"Does Master Harry wish for Dobby to hide his precious locket?"

Harry beamed at his friend. "Yes, Dobby, I do. Somewhere where no one will ever find it. Can you do that?"

"Of course, Master Harry. Does he wish for Dobby to secure the hiding place with his magic as well?"

Harry's cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling. His friend was truly remarkable. "If you could, Dobby, that would be most appreciated. Thank you." And with a deep breath, he handed the locket over.

"Dobby will make sure it's as safe as it can be, Master Harry." And with that, the elf disappeared.

-00-

"Harry, can we talk?" Granger said and gently touched his arm. Harry had to force himself to not recoil at the touch.

"What's there to talk about, Hermione? I thought you were still mad about what happened in the library," he said with a small glare at his 'friend'. Oh, how he wanted to kill her.

She blushed and looked down. "I know, I wanted to apologise for-"

"Do you know what always annoyed me about you, Hermione; the fact that no one was allowed to know more than you. If either I or Ron came to you with information, you refused to accept it as valid until you had read it yourself. Do you have any idea how frustrating and downright humiliating that is?"

Hermione appeared to be frozen in place, her eyes wide and mouth agape. "Harry... I..."

It felt so good to let some of his frustration out, to see the anguish in her eyes as he handed her the brutal, but honest truth. This had been building up for _years_.

"Not only that, you never bother asking someone for their opinion, never mind mine or Ron's. You get it into your head that your way of thinking is the only way of thinking, and therefore other people's opinions don't matter to you."

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair, trying his hardest to appear regretful. "I'm sorry, Hermione, it's just... you always go on and on about how no one knows anything, but that's just because you never bother to listen. Why do you think no one wants to be paired with you in class?"

At that remark, Hermione flinched, as if Harry had slapped her across the face. "I-I..." She abruptly turned and ran down the corridor.

Harry took a deep breath and let it out, a big smile slowly forming on his face. "That was fun."

-00-

Harry thought he might be the only student awake, the castle looked abandoned with its empty halls and quiet corridors.

Everyone seemed to appreciate the joy and comfort of sleeping in on weekends. Which made it, even easier for Harry to leave the castle unnoticed. He breathed in deep, enjoying the almost eerie silence in the morning before the world came to. He glanced back at the castle. The sight of its silhouette and the mountains beyond was almost breathtakingly beautiful.

He glanced at his watch. 8:43. He wondered if Voldemort was already there, and quickened his pace. It wouldn't do to leave the Dark Lord waiting, after all.

Hogsmeade itself wasn't any livelier than the castle, and Harry quickly made his way to the pub. His pace halted briefly as he spotted a man standing outside the building. Could that be...?

He slowly approached the man, who had been watching him in silence. When Harry was close enough to touch, he turned towards him and his lips twitched, as is holding back a smile. "Potter."

Harry nodded, wondering what he should call the other man. "What should I-"

"You may call me Elias," was the reply. Harry studied the other man closely. 'Elias' appeared to be in his late twenties, with short, wavy black hair and deep blue eyes. His voice was deep and smooth, like dark chocolate. Harry had to tread carefully. He had always been fascinated by beautiful things.


End file.
